Get What You Want In Life With The Seven Powerful Principles of Persuasion

Have you ever find it difficult to say no to your friends, colleagues and family members? Ever felt trapped into buying something you didn聮t really want or hoodwinked into saying yes? Time and again, people in every culture have developed certain predictable reactions to common situations in the persuasion process. It is because of these reactions to certain stimuli that make it possible to predict behavior and for that reason to persuade. Unfortunately it is also these same reactions that make it possible to manipulate or be manipulated by unscrupulous individuals.

Politicians, sales professionals, network marketers, insurance agents, colleagues, friends and family members all have an interest in you agreeing to their requests. So how do you know whether you have been manipulated unfairly or ethically persuaded?

Disclaimer: This article was reprinted from the internet, the copyright belongs to the Respect Author/Website, please do not use for commercial purposes. Please feel free to contact us with any questions via Email.

Although this article looks at the Seven Principles of Persuasion that govern getting to 聯yes聰. And you would have already know your success largely depends upon your ability to persuade and influence others to accept and adopt your point of view. I assert to you that in addition to this, there is a direct correlation between your ability to persuade others and the level of income you receive.

Therefore, knowledge of these Seven Principles of Persuasion would certainly empower you.

Principle #1: PRINCIPLE OF RECIPROCATION

This principle states that when we give something of apparent value, people will respond with a desire to offer something in return.

According to Bob Stone, professor of Direct Marketing at the Northwestern University and founder of his own direct marketing advertising agency, Stone and Adler, Inc.: 聯It聮s not at all unusual for the right gift to increase the response by 25 percent or more.聰

It is no wonder that super salesmen like Zig Ziglar have made this the foundation of how they operate. Zig has always said this: 聯You can have whatever you want as long as you help enough people to first get what they want.聰 We can see this powerful principle in practice all around us. Supermarkets offer free samples, car dealers offer test drives, health clubs free workouts, builders offer free surveys and so forth so that potential customers try out the product or service and at the same time become indebted at some psychological level.

It is also common practice, at Tupperware home parties, for the presenter to give away an inexpensive Tupperware item or product sample. And reciprocation is further reinforced by the generous offer of free refreshments and tidbits 聳 This technique further obligates the partygoers to the host and the company.

You can build a sense of indebtedness in someone by delivering a number of uninvited "first favors" over time. They don't have to be tangible gifts. In today's world, useful information is one of the most valuable favors you can deliver.

Another form of reciprocity at work is 聯risk-reversal聰. In marketing, this is offering a guarantee on the products so that you can overcome a prospect聮s innate aversion to 聯taking a risk聰 and buying the product. With a guarantee, the risk is no longer on the buyer. By reversing the risk, much more sales are made and the customer and vendor are both satisfied. How can you apply 聯risk-reversal聰 in your life to get whatever you want? Let me demonstrate by the example of Napoleon Hill, best selling author of 聯Think and Grow Rich聰.

Napoleon Hill chose his future employer right out of college even though his future employer didn聮t know about it. Here聮s how he got the job. He went to the employer and essentially said, 聯Let me work for you for two weeks and I聮ll pay you for the opportunity. Let what I pay you be drawn against my future earnings. At the end of two weeks, if you don聮t like me, I聮ll leave. If you like me, you hire me at the rate I聮m paying you for the opportunity to show myself.聰

Of course the employer immediately jumped at this idea. A fortnight later, Napoleon Hill had the job he had set out to get. Why did this work? It worked because he helped overcame the employer聮s reluctance to hire an unproven fresh graduate. View it from the employer聮s perspective, he either got an excellent employee after two weeks or he got someone to pay him two weeks of wages and two weeks of free labor. For Hill聮s employer, it was totally 聯Risk-Free聰.

I'm not advocating any acts of criminal intimidation here, but there is something to learn from the above quote. The way the Principle of Contrast goes like this 聳 You offer your prospect two choices. One choice will be so 聭bad聮 that no one in his or her right mind would take it. The second choice, the one you want them to take, will seem in contrast to be the most attractive.

For example when two homes are in similar neighborhoods, real estate agents will usually say, "Before we look at the $500,000 home we should really take a look at the $350,000 home." The more expensive home will always have more features and it is the last home the prospective home buyer will see. Psychologically as the last home is a much more decorated than the first, the less expensive home will appear a lot less attractive to the prospective home buyer.

Here聮s another example: Retail store salespersons will always sell you the suit first, then offer you "add on" items like ties, belts, cardigans, etc. The additional $45 to $150 for the extras is considerably less compared to the $800 suit. These retail store salespersons would never sell you the $45 item first, then try to persuade you to "add on" the suit! By the way, do you remember the last time when you availed yourself to a product and what items you were asked to buy in addition to your original purchase?

Remember when using the Principle of Contrast, we must always start with the choice that no one in his or her right mind would take first. It聮s only then that the choice we want our prospects, loved ones or friends to take will be readily accepted.

Principle #3: PRINCIPLE OF CONSISTENCY

聯It is easier to resist in the beginning than at the end.聰 -- Leonardo da Vinci

Research shows that we humans have a nearly obsessive desire to be and appear consistent. Once we聮ve made a decision or taken a stand, we feel pressure to act in ways consistent with that commitment. Usually once a decision is made, we usually don聮t have to think about it any more.

If you are in insurance or network marketing sales, have you ever had prospects cancel appointments with you at the last minute? In a similar situation back in 1998, a certain Chicago restaurant owner was all ruffled up with last minute cancelled reservations. He solved his problem by asking his receptionists to modify just two words of what they said to patrons requesting a reservation. These two words reduced the no-show rate from 30% to 10%. The magic within these words was that they tapped the human desire to be consistent. The receptionist modified her usual request from 聯Please call if you have to change your plans聰 to 聯Will you please call if you have to change your plans?聰 At this point, she would deliberately pause and just wait for a response. The pause was critical because it encouraged the customer to make a public commitment. This principle also worked well for my clients in the insurance industry.

Have you ever wondered why is it difficult for a person to leave a cult? That聮s because cult members are unconsciously trying to justify their earlier assurance to their families and friends that no one is ordering them around and that they had chosen to do what they did." With such public commitment or declaration, getting out can make these cult members feel really guilty.

In a coaching scenario, if a coach can create a situation in which his client or group makes an active verbal or written commitment, particularly if this is done in public, the chances of compliance shoot up dramatically. In reality, the magic of written goals derives its power from the client聮s desire to be consistent. A second way to use the Principle of Consistency to persuade is for the coach to frame his request as related to a commitment his client has made earlier on. For instance, 聯I know how committed you are to your family. The diligent application of the time management tools we are talking about will free you up for more quality family time, don聮t you agree?聰

Majority of the population form conclusions about people within the first four minutes they meet. Research has shown that 93% of the time we are judged based on first impression and the remaining 7% is based on our real abilities.

This means that sales professionals such as insurance, real estate agents with good dress sense are perceived as physically attractive and therefore more likely to influence more prospects to use their services.

Physical attractiveness also gives the impression of intelligence and kindness. As a result, attractive sales professionals and motivational speakers are more persuasive both in terms of changing others' attitudes towards the business and getting what they request.

B) Similarity

We like people who are like ourselves and are therefore more willing to say yes to their requests, often without much critical consideration.

Sincere and lavish compliments almost certainly enhances liking. Remember Dale Carnegie? He advised all who wants to win friends and influence people to be hearty in their approbation and lavish in their praise.

Research conducted at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that inaccurate praise also induces the same intensity of liking for the flatterer. In fact, men will sacrifice their lives for praise, honor and recognition. Intrinsically, we crave and yearn for a boost to our esteem. We all wear an imaginary badge that says, 聯Please make me feel important.聰 And ironically most people would never think of physically harming someone or depriving them of food and water, yet often without reservation we will harm someone emotionally or deprive them of love and appreciation! To be a Master Persuader, we should make it a habit to give genuine sincere praise to someone every day. Don聮t wait for a reason or for something big to happen. Be generous with your praise. Praise simply makes others more open to persuasion.

Repeat contact between a prospect and direct sales professionals (like insurance agents and network marketers) always facilitates liking and influence the prospect聮s decision to join the business. This principle explains the necessity to follow-up with your prospects. According to the 聭McGraw Hill Sales Statistical Studies聮, 96% of all sales happen after 5.6 exposures to information (and, most importantly, the persuasive presenter).